Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Definition of often adverb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

 Oxford3000

often

adverb
often pronunciation English ˈɒfn often pronunciation American ˈɔːfn often pronunciation American ˈɑːfn
often pronunciation English ˈɒftən often pronunciation American ˈɔːftən often pronunciation American ˈɑːftən
 
1 many times
Synonym
frequentlyWe often go there.I've often wondered what happened to him.How often do you go to the theatre?I see her quite often.Try to exercise as often as possible.We should meet for lunch more often.It is not often that you get such an opportunity.2 in many cases
Synonym
commonlyOld houses are often damp.People are often afraid of things they don't understand.All too often the animals die through neglect.His success depended, as so often happens, on things entirely outside his control.
Idioms

as often as not

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more often than not

usually; in a way that is typical of somebody/something
As often as not, he's late for work.

every so often

occasionally; sometimes
Every so often I heard a strange noise outside.
 more at once too often at once adverb